This year was a big improvement on last year. I have a huge kitchen! A full-sized oven! All the kitchen tools I need! My mom! Henry isn’t a newborn! The only thing that would have made it easier would have been an extra fridge and freezer. Finding space for all these pies is always a challenge.

THE PIES: The favorites of the night were Brownie and Chocolate Cream. Those were the only two pies to completely disappear.

Pear Cardamom Pie in an almond pastry crust (new): Good! I’ll make a few adjustments to this recipe, but I’ll make it again.

Frozen Lemon Pie in a gingersnap crust (new): This was good! I’ll make it again with a few adjustments to the recipe.

Gingered Apple-Cranberry in a pastry crust: This is always a favorite of guests, and it is my favorite Pie Night pie. We only have it once or twice a year, so I look forward to it. With lemon whipped cream of course.

Bacon Apple Pie in a pastry crust (new): Totally cool looking, and such a great idea to lattice bacon on top of a pie, BUT it wasn’t good. It was just ok, and I won’t make it again.

Banana Cream Pie in a pastry crust (not pictured): This was very well received by everyone who tried it. One guest even told me that it was just as good as the Banana Pudding from Magnolia Bakery. Um…best compliment of my life. The key to the amazing flavor is making sure you use enough salt and also using a high quality vanilla. I have been using madagascar bourbon vanilla and adding a teaspoon of vanilla sugar that I got in Switzerland this summer.

Brownie Pie in a pastry crust (not pictured): This whole pie disappeared. It was fantastic.

Cranberry relish: I can’t find the recipe I used this year, but it wasn’t great anyway. I like it on pumpkin pie with lemon whipped cream. I make this every year, but I think I’m the only person who eats it. I’ll skip it next year.

THE DRINKS: I normally serve a hot spiced drink, but Texas is hot so I skipped that this year.

Milk: I had a hard time finding small milks other than whole milk at any grocery store, so I purchased a case from Chick-fil-a.

Diet Coke: In glass bottles with adorable paper straws

Water: In mini bottles

THE MISTAKES:

I didn’t do a traditional, double-crusted apple pie. It was missed.

I missed Dreamy Apple! That is such an amazing pie, it needs a spot at Pie Night forever.

I made the frozen lemon pie twice. The first time my custard was room temperature when I put it in my ice cream maker, but it should have been cold. Version two was sufficiently chilled prior to putting it in the ice cream maker, which resulted in a creamier finished product. The difference between version one and version two was only slightly noticeable, but I’m glad I remade it. Now I know.

Pictures! I’m always running around and don’t get pictures of everything I want/who I want to get pictures of.

THE NEW STUFF:

Milk: Great addition

Plastic to-go boxes: Why haven’t I always done this?! Usually I just give people a plate of their favorites to take home, but having pie-specific to-go boxes was a million times more fun and more convenient.

Dad watched Henry all day and did at least one million dishes. Mom helped with EVERYTHING. And Henry was adorable all day and night. Time to start planning Pie Night 2014!

That looks amazing! Can I please be invited next year?! And will you please teach me how to make pecan pie? It is my favorite and I botch it every year. In fact can I come for a 2 or 3 day pie class? When we get full we can shop 🙂